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Naxals fire at rescue copter in Bastar

NEW DELHI, April 17, 2013, Dhns:

A Border Security Force chopper on his last sortie to airlift elite ‘Greyhound’ commondos waiting after a successful anti-naxal operation came under fire from the Red ultras in South Bastar area of Chattisgarh on Wednesday evening.

As per initial reports, none of the personnel were injured but the Mi-17 BSF helicopter suffered bullet shots in the cockpit area that landed safely with the last batch of Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh's Bhadrachalam in Khammam district.

The Andhra Pradesh police dispatched another 40 greyhounds commondoes to guard their men left in the jungles of Jagargunda police station of South Bastar, said government sources.

The rescue team has already contacted their five men and is trying to take them out of danger, added a government source.

In one of the biggest successful operations against the Maoists, a joint force of CRPF, state police of Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh had killed nine persons including five women in Sukma district of Chattisgarh. A total of 130 men drawn from three forces were involved in the operation. It is learnt that out of 130, the CRPF’s thirty had left post-operation and the Greyhound commondoes among the remaining were airlifted by the choppers in five previous sorties.

But the last one came under attack by the ultras who were waiting for an opportunity to take revenge of Tuesday big kill.

This is the second incident of Naxalites firing on security forces' helicopters after an IAF chopper was hit in January in the same district.